Dudley Rush is an artist with a difference. Eccentric and childlike, he insists of wearing his large lion ventriloquist glove-puppet on his hand whenever he draws the "Barney, the Bionic Bulldog" comic strip. Unhappy about having to spend what he considers valuable time working, he always procrastinates, so he's always late meeting the strip's deadlines, which frustrates his long-suffering agent, Duncan Thomas, who often falls victim to Dudley's practical jokes. Duncan frequently visits the Rush home; it's quite obvious that he's strongly attracted to Dudley's lovely wife Muriel, which drives Dudley to bouts of excessive jealousy. Dudley is also annoyed at the excessive number of Muriel's delicious cakes that Duncan delightedly tucks into when he visits. With Dudley, Muriel, and their attractive daughters Jacqui and Susan all being blessed with their own wonderfully weird, ready wit, life at the Rushes' is never dull.